This is me waiting to take my owner out shopping

My owner is deaf and partially sighted and was refused a guide dog. They never said why he could not have one, so he trained me up to be his Leader dog as he is not allowed to call me a guide dog. He has trained me himself to be his ears & eyes.

I have a bit of a checked history, as I was going to be put to sleep at only ten months old. When I was brought to my owner, I looked at him with my big brown eyes, as if to say I'm a very nice Springer.

I am a typical Springer off the lead and pull my owner when on the lead, but only if we are walking on flat ground. If we are walking up a hill my owner will walk beside me so I do not have to pull him up the hill.

In my harness I cannot fault myself; I wait at the kerbside till the cars have gone past and then cross the road.  I will not pass anyone with a pushchair; I wait until they have gone passed.  In the shops I am very good.

On the deaf side I tell my owner when the smoke alarm goes off and when the doorbell or telephone rings. He has to have his eye drops in every hour so he trained me to tell him when it was time to have them.

Meet Ben's fellow Springer Jess